There Is No Basis for Pride

Man was created to be dependent on God. ‘Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.’ — Genesis 2:7

How was man created?

God formed man from the clay and then breathed into his nostril, and man became a living soul. See, the breath is not ours, not even the clay. We are designed to live in humble dependence on our Creator. But pride seeks independence from God, and leads to rebellion.

From heaven to earth, pride has always been the seed of downfall. Humility keeps us anchored to the One who gives life, breath, and purpose. Lucifer’s beauty and splendour led him to pride. He desired equality with God and was cast down. The same temptation was presented to Adam and Eve in the Garden: ‘You will be like God’ (Genesis 3:5–6). ‘Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.’ — Luke 14:11

God’s Humility in Jesus
 The life of Jesus begins with a signpost that confronts pride at its root. God came to us as a baby, not in a palace but in a manger. The eternal Word did not choose royal halls, public acclaim, or human grandeur. He chose obscurity, poverty, and the ordinary home of a carpenter. The manger teaches that the kingdom of God does not ride on human status, titles, or applause. It begins with dependence, vulnerability, and trust.

In the Incarnation, we see that greatness is measured by obedience to the Father, not by visibility. Jesus’ birth says: do not despise small beginnings; do not mistake quiet faithfulness for insignificance; do not equate comfort with blessing. The Son of God was laid in a feeding trough, yet angels announced His coming and wise men sought Him. God hides His greatest treasures in humility. If the Lord of glory embraced lowliness, then our path to true exaltation is the same—obedience, service, and surrender.

The manger also warns us against the pride that craves centre stage. Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, in a hidden Nazareth season, before a public ministry in due time. He teaches us to embrace God’s timing without grasping at platforms. In His life, the pattern is clear: down is the way up; service is the road to significance; surrender precedes stewardship.

The Example of Sadhu Sundar Singh
 Sadhu Sundar Singh was born into a wealthy Sikh family in Punjab, India. Surrounded by privilege and learning, he encountered Christ at sixteen and chose to give up wealth, comfort, and status to live as a simple servant of God. Clothed in a single robe and barefoot, he travelled across India, Tibet, and the Himalayas preaching the gospel.

He was mocked, rejected, and even imprisoned for his faith. Still, he never sought fame or honour. When Western missionaries tried to elevate him or bring him into their institutions, he refused titles and comforts, saying, ‘Jesus is enough for me.’ His humility became his greatest influence. His words carried power because his life reflected surrender. You see, the path to true exaltation lies in humility. When we choose to serve rather than shine, God Himself lifts us to places no human platform can reach.

Humility vs False Humility
 Some believers struggle with a poor sense of self-worth. Low self-esteem is not the same as humility. You cannot be truly humble unless you first understand your value in Christ. Do not confuse timidity or self-depreciation for humility. God does not take pleasure in us demeaning ourselves. When you constantly lower yourself in thought, word, or action, you deny the truth of how God sees you.

Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself rightly, in light of God’s grace. ‘Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment.’ — Romans 12:3. See, that balance is key. Humility does not cancel the truth that you are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) and created in the very image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26–27). To deny your worth is to deny your God’s wisdom. But to glory in your worth without acknowledging your Source is pride. God’s design is not that you live in insecurity or self-condemnation, but in confidence that comes from His grace. Humility comes from alignment with God. You can stand tall in your identity while bowing your heart before God.

Life is Governed by Principles

 Many people want success, but few are willing to pay its price. I was thinking about the demands of the things I desire in my life. It dawned on me that principles are guideposts.

There was a time I offered to pay some people who look up to me to read. I thought they had the time and needed the change that comes from building a habit of reading. Many of them were fresh graduates, undergraduates, and high school leavers. It turned out that about 70% of them never followed through. I provided the books and even offered to put them on a salary. In fact, I paid some in advance. Yet, only a few came back to ask me for help in one way or another.

They could receive the money, but not the discipline of reading. I saw potential and tried to make it easier for them. I gave them the book, removed the excuses, even offered payment. Yet, what I encountered was not a lack of opportunity, but a lack of willingness. It is a lesson that principles are not punishments; they are guideposts. See, you cannot bend principles by your sentiments or shortcut. Those principles reward obedience, not convenience.

Reading, learning, and self-development are gateways to freedom. But too often, people want the outcomes of growth without the habits that sustain it. They want results, not responsibility. They want the fruit, but not the planting, watering, or waiting. For some of us, when we realise this, we stop trying to make people change, we invite them to choose it. Because real transformation is not bought with money; it is purchased with commitment.

We often desire progress without process, hoping that things will simply fall into place. But I have learnt that even when help comes, responsibility must follow. You can receive a gift, but you cannot receive success as a gift. I have seen people in need of money who will not do the simplest thing to earn it. They are comfortable with being helped, but uncomfortable with becoming capable. Success demands discipline, not dependency. It rewards those who act, not those who wait. Grace can open doors, but only diligence keeps them open. Success is not a gift. It is a stewardship of responsibility, growth, and consistent effort.

In the same vein, humility is a principle for lifting.

The Hidden Faces of Pride

 Pride is a condition of the heart. It is not every prideful person that comes across as arrogant. Sometimes pride hides behind confidence, excellence, or achievement. It is subtle, it shapes how we think, speak, and treat others.

There are different forms of pride. Intellectual pride shows up when we believe our opinions are always right and close our minds to other perspectives. Spiritual pride makes us think our relationship with God is superior or that others are less faithful. It is pride when we allow titles, roles, or influence to become the source of our identity.

‘Be not wise in your own conceits.’ — Romans 12:16. ‘When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.’ — Proverbs 11:2. Daniel 4:30–37 tells the story of King Nebuchadnezzar, whose heart was lifted in pride until God humbled him and restored him only when he acknowledged Heaven’s rule.

Pause and reflect. In what areas do you rely on yourself more than God? What do you secretly boast about? How do you respond when corrected? Pride often hides where we least expect it. It is also good to mention that humility is not the same as being timid. Humility is not the same as thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less, allowing God to be glorified in all you do.

Pride: A Silent Destroyer
 Pride will destroy anyone. It is one of the most dangerous heart conditions a believer can nurture because it quietly displaces God and enthrones self. Pride makes us forget who gave us what we have. It hides beneath success, intelligence, and good intentions, yet it poisons the soul.

You are supposed to be better than some people in some areas, just as many will be better than you in others. That is how God designed life, balanced through diversity. But when you begin to take your intelligence, talents, or success to heart and treat them as self-earned, you align yourself in resistance against God. ‘God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.’ — James 4:6. Imagine that, the Almighty Himself becomes your opposition. Pride does not just make life hard; it places you in a posture where heaven works against you.

Since I cannot deceive God I have made it my prayers that He can check the state of my heart always and expose if there be any self-sufficiency. ‘Let the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.’ — Psalm 19:14

Lessons from Nebuchadnezzar
 King Nebuchadnezzar ruled one of the greatest empires in history, yet pride blinded him. When he looked over Babylon and said, ‘Is not this the great Babylon that I have built by my mighty power and for the honour of my majesty?’ (Daniel 4:30), God humbled him instantly. His throne was taken, his sanity lost, and he was driven to live among the beasts of the field until he acknowledged that Heaven rules.

His story is a living picture of Proverbs 16:18 — ‘Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.’ Pride lifts a man high only to drop him low. But humility keeps us grounded in grace. Every breath we have, every gift we carry, is borrowed from God; to forget that is pride, to remember it is wisdom.

Whether in leadership, business, ministry, or family life, God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. The same God who restored Nebuchadnezzar will also lift anyone who bows to His sovereignty and walks in humility. The responsibility to be humble rests on every individual. It is not something God forces upon us. Scripture does not say, ‘God will humble you’, but ‘Humble yourselves’. That means humility is a personal decision—an act of will that reflects a surrendered heart.

The Holy Spirit will help you when you ask Him, but His help often comes through opportunities to practise humility—moments when you could defend yourself but choose silence, when you could take credit but decide to honour God instead, when you could insist on your way but yield for the sake of peace. Humility is not weakness; it is strength under control. It is the deliberate choice to think, act, and speak in a way that acknowledges God’s authority over your life. Those who humble themselves under His mighty hand will, in due season, be lifted—by God, not by men. To walk in humility is to position yourself where grace flows freely. It is the key that unlocks divine exaltation.

True influence is not born from self-promotion; rest in God. You have toiled all night. Rest in Jesus. Your lifting flows from surrender. We rise when we bow to God’s purpose and serve others faithfully.